Category Archives: Dancing Realms

Which Hidden Current Character are YOU?

Dancing Realms, Hidden Current

Which Hidden Current character are you most like? Take the short, no-spoiler quiz below to find out who you’d be in the Dancing Realms! My friend Caitlin Eha put together this fun quiz (without spoilers) that you can enjoy while you wait for your copy of Hidden Current to arrive. Enjoy!

  1. How do you feel about dancing?
    1. A. It’s my passion!
    1. B. I don’t dance.
    1. C. I love to watch, but I’m not a skilled dancer myself.
    1. D. It’s fun!
    1. E. Dance? I wouldn’t dare.
    1. F. I love to dance, but I’m not as good as I’d like to be.
  • What’s your preferred mode of transportation?
    • A. Dancing. Or at least, keeping my feet firmly on the ground.
    • B. Traveling through the ocean.
    • C. Unfortunately, I’m not up for traveling.
    • D. On horseback.
    • E. I’d rather stay in my own town, where it’s safe.
    • F. I don’t have anywhere to go.
  • You encounter a wild animal, and it looks angry. What do you do?
    • A. Carefully try to calm the animal so it won’t attack.
    • B. Grab your weapon and get ready to fight.
    • C. Pray it goes away.
    • D. Approach and try to befriend it.
    • E. Run away as fast as you can.
    • F. Stay very still and wait for it to move on.
  • Visitors show up at your home unexpectedly. What do you do?
    • A. Say hello, then return to your work.
    • B. It depends—are they friend or foe?
    • C. Invite them in and share a meal.
    • D. Ask if they’d like to help you in the garden.
    • E. Tell them to go away.
    • F. Sit down with them for a good conversation.
  • Pick a favorite kind of pet.
    • A. A land animal with fluffy fur.
    • B. A sea creature you can ride.
    • C. All animals are lovely in their own way.
    • D. Anything that will play with me.
    • E. An animal that helps with my work.
    • F. A land animal you can ride.
  • You have reached the island’s rim and the ocean is spread out before you. Do you…
    • A. Enjoy the view but keep your feet safely on the land.
    • B. Dive right into the water and go for a long swim.
    • C. Take a drink of the sweet-tasting water.
    • D. Splash and play in the ocean.
    • E. Go back to work like a sensible person.
    • F. Stare in awe.
  • What is the purpose of life?
    • A. To dance for the Order.
    • B. To protect the people I love.
    • C. To follow the Maker.
    • D. I don’t know yet.
    • E. To survive.
    • F. I thought I knew, but now I’m not so sure.

Now, add up your responses for each letter:

A______    B______    C______    D______    E______    F______

Which Hidden Current character are you? Check below to find out your character!

If you got mostly As…

You are…CALARA!

You love to dance and long to use your gifts to benefit the world around you. You have a strong sense of purpose, although life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing… 

If you got mostly Bs…

You are…BRANTLEY!

You are strong and down-to-earth. You know the world can be harsh, and your mission is to protect those you love. Although you tend to come across as gruff, you care deeply about your people. 

If you got mostly Cs…

You are…GINERVA!

You are a caring person who looks after the people around you—even if that means working for a regime you disagree with. Your subtle advice and tenderness have a way of reaching even the most confused or hardened hearts.

If you got mostly Ds…

You are…NOLANA!

You view the world with child-like wonder and excitement, but you also tend to surprise other people with your wisdom and insight. You’re not sure what the future holds, but that excites you more than it scares you.

If you got mostly Es…

You are…VARNEY!

You keep to yourself and try not to get on anyone’s bad side—especially anyone who could arrest you. You sometimes struggle to do the right thing, but you’re a good person at heart.

If you got mostly Fs…

You are…STARFIRE!

Your friends are the most important thing to you, and you’d risk a lot for them. You want to use your gifts to help others, but you’re not sure if you’re capable enough. Still, your future may involve greater things than you ever expected…

Discover these characters and more in Hidden Current, releasing January 2020 and now available for preorder!

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Star Rain: A Hidden Current Craft

, Dancing Realms, Hidden Current,

How to Make: Star Rain in a Bottle!

In the novel Hidden Current, star rain is a beautiful phenomenon in which multi-colored starlight transforms, then bursts to release a shower of golden dust. The light show is fleeting and the dust turns to sand once it reaches the ground…but what if you could bottle some star rain to keep for your own?

My friend Caitlin Eha created these instructions for you! You can visit her author website HERE.

Materials you’ll need:

  • A bottle with a lid (This can be any bottle you like, as long as the lid can be glued on without possibility of leaks. Your local craft store probably has an abundance of uniquely-shaped bottles!)
  • A funnel (the stem needs to fit in the bottle’s opening)
  • Corn syrup (the amount will depend on the bottle’s size)
  • Blue food coloring
  • Gold/yellow food coloring
  • Gold fine glitter
  • Hot glue gun
  • Water (a little bit from the sink is fine!)
  • A mixing bowl
  • A small mixing spoon (tongue depressors or popsicle sticks also work)

Instructions:

  1. Pour some corn syrup into your mixing bowl. (You can measure this based on the volume of your bottle, or you can just estimate.)
  2. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring and stir with the corn syrup. If you want the shade to be darker, add more drops of food coloring and stir until you like the hue.
  3. Optional: Add a drop of gold or yellow food coloring. Star rain is described as having green and blue lights, so I made the corn syrup a combination of those colors. However, you’ll want to use less gold coloring than blue.
  4. Once you’re happy with the color, add the gold fine glitter to the corn syrup. Be generous with the glitter, and stir it into the corn syrup as you go. The more glitter you use, the more your finished bottle will sparkle.
  5. Add a little bit of water to your corn syrup and glitter mixture. The water won’t mix well with the corn syrup, but stir it together anyway. Because of its thickness, the corn syrup keeps the glitter suspended in the bottle, but it will still separate to the top and bottom eventually. The water adds some fluidity to the mixture so, even if the glitter separates, you can shake and spin the bottle until the glitter spreads out again.
  6. Put the funnel in your bottle and carefully pour in the corn syrup mixture. Leave a little bit of space at the top of the bottle—this empty space will make it easier to shake the bottle and spread out the glitter as needed.
  7. Once your bottle is filled with “star rain,” use the hot glue gun to seal the lid in place. (For instance, if the bottle closes with a cork, just put some hot glue around the cork and then insert it into the bottle.) Once the hot glue dries, it should prevent any leaks.
  8. You now have a bottle of star rain! If the glitter starts to separate, just shake, twirl, and turn the bottle upside down until it spreads out again.

Optional: I finished off my star rain bottle with a wax seal on the top, just to make it look extra artsy! If you want to do this, too, pour your melted sealing wax right on top of the lid, then press in the seal. The extra wax will spill down the sides as it dries and create a nice effect!

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Pre-order Gift for All – Hidden Current

Book Buzz, Dancing Realms, Hidden Current
pre-order gift

I’m so excited about the upcoming new fantasy series, The Dancing Realms, that I created a unique pre-order gift in anticipation of the first book’s release. If you have already ordered the hard cover edition of Hidden Current (book one in The Dancing Realms series) or order it during September or October, just contact me with a proof of purchase.

I’ll email you a pdf file. It’s an annotated version of the first chapter of Hidden Current, full of my notes, doodles, and insider info about how the story grew. Later, readers will have opportunities to enter drawings for other prizes. But this gift is for EVERYONE who pre-orders this new hard cover edition!

This unique annotated chapter will be an exclusive gift for those who pre-order the hard cover limited edition of Hidden Current, so don’t miss your chance.

You can contact me – sharon at sharonhinck dot com. An easy proof of purchase is a screen shot of your order confirmation. Looking forward to hearing from you! I’m delighted to share this special pre-order gift with you!

Sharon

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Hidden Current Cover Reveal

Book Buzz, Dancing Realms, Hidden Current

I’m so excited to finally be able to share the amazing cover and the pre-order link for my new novel, Hidden Current. Can you see me Snoopy dancing? And speaking of dancing …

What inspired this new series?

Years before I wrote my first novel, I worked as a dance teacher, choreographer, and artistic director of a Christian dance company. So, when my agent and I were discussing ideas for my next book, he said, “In all your other novels, you’ve never drawn from your experience in dance. I’d love to see you create a brand-new fantasy world and utilize dance in some way.”

I began mulling the idea, and within days, a character had come to life.

In my new novel, Hidden Current, the dancers of the Order direct their floating world with their movements but are steering it toward destruction. One lone dancer fights to overcome opposition from rim villages and treachery from the all-powerful Order and bring a forgotten truth to her people.

Is this part of a series?

Yes and no. This is a stand-alone story. That means that although I’ve written more books with these characters, you don’t have to wait for the series to release, fearing an unresolved ending to book one. The story is complete of itself, with just a hint of the next adventure to follow. I’ve turned in the second book and am ¾ of the way through writing book three, and my publisher is planning rapid releases of the following books. Hooray!

Why should I pre-order now?

This is being released in limited edition hardcover. That means when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Is this similar to the Sword of Lyric books?

Yes and no. It’s not a “portal fantasy” – no modern-day character visits this world. However, like my other fantasy series, the book was inspired by spiritual themes, delves deeply into the heart of a character that many of us can relate to, and paints a unique story world full of both beauty and dangers. I’m so excited for its release!

How can I help?

Let your friends know, share photos and links, but most of all pray. Pray that the themes of this story will touch hearts and draw readers toward the grace and truth of God’s love.

Thanks! And feel free to leave any other questions and comments here!

Sharon Hinck

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A New Contract – A New Chapter

Book Buzz, Dancing Realms, The Writing Life
A New Contract!

Hi, dear friends,

It’s finally time to officially share the news about a new chapter in my writing life.New Contract

This is a photo of me with my wonderful agent, Steve Laube, who delivered this book contract in person. (Okay, he was in town for other reasons, but still, it was fun to celebrate in person.)

I signed a three-book contract with Enclave for my new fantasy series, “The Dancing Realms.”

Yes, it draws from my years as a ballet teacher, choreographer, and dancer — although in some unexpected ways.

It’s also inspired by a poignant verse in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings: “Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.’ He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.”

The notion of a world losing or forgetting all about their Maker is heartbreaking, and of course sets a stage for someone to heed the call to expose the lies of the Order who are exerting harmful control over the entire world.

That’s enough of a tease for now. The first story, Hidden Current, will release in June. I’ll keep you posted on progress!

Blessings,

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